Tracheopleural fistula after thoracoscopic esophagectomy: novel therapeutic approach with pericardial and intercostal muscle flaps

Tracheal rupture following thoracoscopic esophagectomy is a dangerous event requiring primary repair with flap reinforcement. If the injury is not diagnosed during the surgery, morbidity and mortality increase significantly. Meanwhile, primary repair in such cases is not feasible due to the inflammation and difficulty in approximating the defect. Here, we report a case of tracheal injury during thoracoscopic esophagectomy with primary repair failure. We successfully repaired the injury by covering the defect first by a pericardial flap, then reinforcing it with an intercostal muscle flap. To our knowledge, there are few reports of such novel surgical techniques.